Jang Bong-gun's Pen-Tip Memoir My Newspaper Story 7

I was 28 years old when I started drawing illustrations at the newspaper. It was during YS's presidency, and because I had such a shy personality, I quietly drew pictures only, and the evaluation was not bad.

However, since I wanted to do political cartoons more than illustrations, drawing political cartoons only once a week left me somewhat unsatisfied. My head was always warm and feverish from squeezing out ideas.

Back then, the editorial department was bustling, and it seemed more dynamic than the quiet recent years. Several editorial directors, including Director Kim Jung-bae, changed positions, and I watched with interest the various transformations—from reporters to chiefs, and from chiefs to directors.

It was the era of dipping ink and drawing with pens, and there were pagers; shortly after, large "brick phones" came out. I, too, became one brick making up the newspaper, diligently drawing pictures in my corner, and thus four years passed.